Lighting

Lighting accounts for around 10% of electricity consumption in the average household. You can reduce costs significantly with the right approach:

Use daylight: Organize your home so that you use as much daylight as possible. This reduces the need for artificial lighting.

The right type of lighting: Only use lights where they are really needed, for example, in workplaces or on the stairs. Avoid indirect ambient lighting such as uplights.

Light environment: Ensure walls, ceilings and floors are smooth and painted in light colors where possible to allow light to reflect. Whereas a light, smooth wall reflects around 80% of light, dark curtains absorb almost half.

Switch lights off: Switch off the light when you leave a room. However, please note that energy-saving bulbs must be cool when switching on otherwise their lifespan is reduced. You should therefore leave lights on if the interval would only be a few minutes.

Motion detectors: Motion detectors are ideal for rooms that are not used very often, such as cellars and lofts as well as the garden. The light is automatically switched off if no motion is recorded for a specific period of time.

Regular cleaning: Lamps and lights should be cleaned regularly to maintain their light output. Ensure lights are not connected to the power supply and bulbs are cold when cleaning.

Proper disposal: As energy-saving bulbs contain small traces of mercury, they do not belong in the domestic refuse. Dispose of them with dealers or at recycling centers.